Home
by Madpadz
Summary: This was ridiculous. He was home, and he was finally safe. So why did it not feel that way? Series of one-shots, Pepperony.
1. Fear

"_Could feel the sun about to rise when I realized we had nothing to fear."  
_**-Home **by **Marc Broussard**

* * *

Tony looked around the basement silently, letting the overwhelming feel of nostalgia wash over him in waves as he moved further into the room. Three months he had been away from home, away from everything he knew. It looked no different than how he had left it, but it felt different. Now it was more… Tony couldn't name it, exactly, but he was sure it hadn't felt this way before. Maybe he was just more appreciative of it now.

"Jarvis, lights please," he said quietly as he walked out of the doorway and up the stairs. As he passed through the living room, he spotted Pepper's laptop on the coffee table in front of the couch. Slightly surprised that she would be here, he walked into the kitchen to find her putting groceries in the refrigerator. She turned at the sound of his footsteps and smiled slightly at him.

"Hey," she said softly, returning to her task of putting a container of orange juice on the shelf inside the door.

"Hey," he said back, cursing in his head at the sound of his weak, scratchy voice. "What are you still doing here?" he inquired gently. "I mean, not that I don't want you here, I just didn't expect…" he trailed off, stopping his rambling. She shrugged lightly, rolling up the paper bag and throwing it in the trash.

"It's late," she replied. "I didn't feel up to the drive home, so…" she smiled gently again, "I thought I'd just stay here. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, of course."

He stared at her, taking in the whole of her face. She was every bit as beautiful as he remembered. Just like in the shop, looking at her felt familiar, but it also felt different. When he walked off of the plane earlier, the first thing he had seen was her. She looked so radiant in the glaring sun, her red hair even more fiery as it reflected the sun's rays. Nothing could stop the pang in his chest when he saw the tears in her eyes, and resisted the urge to hold her in his arms and tell her that she was all he thought about back in that cave.

He was jerked from his memories as she spoke.

"Well, it _is_ late," she said quietly. "I'm gonna go to bed."

He nodded, but stood in the same place as she turned away from him. When she was halfway down the hall, she turned back to him.

"And Tony?" she addressed him, and he raised his head to let her know he was listening.

"I'm so glad…" she took a deep, shuddery breath before continuing. "I'm so glad you're okay."

And with that, she disappeared into the guest bedroom and closed the door lightly.

"Me too," he whispered, turning to make his way up to his own bedroom.

The bedroom was exactly like he remembered it, although he hadn't even used it the night before he was taken. The bed was crisply made, the comforter completely free of wrinkles. He turned away from it, stripping out of his clothes and changing into an old pair of cotton pants. Taking off his shirt, he looked down at the glow emanating from his chest. Tracing around the circle lightly with his fingers, he shivered at the contact with the skin that was still raw.

Getting beneath the sheets, he closed his eyes. He had _forgotten _how comfortable it was to have an actual bed. He turned his head into the pillow, and it hit him. His pillow had _not _smelled like that before he had left. It had _never _smelled like that. He buried his nose into it, taking in the comforting scent. It was warm, like vanilla but spicier. It smelled like Christmas, it smelled like… _Pepper._

He went rigid as he realized it. Why did _his bed_ smell like _Pepper_? It couldn't possibly be…

"Jarvis, pull up the video feeds of this room for the past three months," he said, jumping out of the bed and running over to the windows on the other side of the room. The computer complied, a large list of dates scrolling onto the glass in front of Tony.

"Is there a certain time period that you would like to view, sir?" the AI asked its creator. Tony chose one of the dates randomly.

"Probably around the evening, Jarvis," he said, and then thought of a better idea. "Hold that thought. Jarvis, did Pepper come into this room at all while I was gone?" If it was possible, the AI seemed to hesitate.

"Yes, sir," Jarvis said. "Miss Potts visited this room quite frequently during your disappearance."

"I…" Tony didn't know what to say. "Could you pull up the feeds from one of the nights she was here?"

The computer didn't reply as the feed appeared on the window. It showed Pepper walking into the room hesitantly, and if he recognized the date in the corner correctly, it was the day he had been kidnapped. Closing the door behind her, she approached the bed slowly. After staring at it for about five minutes, she sat down on it. Slipping her shoes onto the floor beside the bed, she slid beneath the covers and sat with her back against the headboard. Tony watched painfully as she put her head in her hands and stayed that way for quite some time.

"Turn it off, Jarvis," he said quietly after he had viewed a few more feeds that showed Pepper sleeping in his room; in his _bed_. As he crawled back under the covers, he thought of what he had just seen. It baffled him; he had thought about Pepper so much it hurt when he was gone, and if the video feeds were anything to go by, it was the same vice versa. Before he knew it, sleep consumed him and took him away from the puzzling thoughts of his assistant.

He woke with a start, clawing at his chest as it throbbed with pain. His muscles were tight, and he was breathing erratically. His eyes scanned the darkness that surrounded him and his mind acknowledged that he was home, but his body couldn't seem to grasp the concept. The darkness was choking him, and he could feel paranoia creeping up on him. His eyes darted around the room as he jumped at every little noise.

This was ridiculous. He was _home_, and by God, he was finally _safe._ So why did it not feel that way?

He remembered delightfully that he wasn't alone in the house. Pepper was in the guest bedroom. His pulse still racing a little above normal, he stealthily escaped his room and walked briskly to Pepper's. With several fleeting looks over his shoulder, he made it to the door and it opened it slightly. To his surprise, Pepper sat awake with her laptop in her lap. As she looked up at him, her eyes were slightly red. _Has she been crying?_

"Hey," she said softly, repeating the same line she had used in the kitchen. As he entered the room fully and closed the door, her eyes flickered to the reactor in his chest.

"I couldn't sleep," he admitted quietly, looking sheepish. She smiled and patted the space next to her on the bed.

"I had a similar problem," she said, laughing lightly. He slid into the space next to her, placing his legs beneath the covers. He peered at the screen on her laptop and laughed.

"Speed Racer?" he asked incredulously.

"Hey! It was my favorite show, okay?" she said defensively, but laughing along with him. "Shut up."

He looked at her quietly, observing how the combined light from the laptop and his chest draped over her face pleasantly. Behind her, the sky was getting lighter as the sun began to rise. He sighed, content, as the earlier paranoia left his body.

"Is it okay if I…?" he looked into her eyes, and his heart lifted as she smiled again.

"Sure, Tony," she said, closing the laptop and placing it on the ground. She put her head on the pillow and snuggled into the covers. "Jarvis, shades please," she said sweetly then closed her eyes. The room darkened slightly, but Tony felt safe with Pepper there. He lay facing her, and she opened her eyes slightly.

"You're bright," she said, laughing a little. He was confused at first, then looked down at his chest.

"Oh, sorry," he said, turning onto his stomach, effectively blocking the light. He closed his eyes, and was surprised when he felt Pepper shift closer to him and place her arm around his waist. He opened his eyes, and was met with her blue ones.

"It's okay," she said softly, and he knew she meant it as more than an acceptance of his apology. He smiled gently, and hesitantly brought her closer to him. He shuddered as she put her back against his chest, allowing him to spoon with her. The pressure of her body felt nice, and his eyes slipped closed.

* * *

When he woke, it was late afternoon and Pepper was gone. Jarvis let him know that she was still in the mansion, doing work as usual in the living room. He grabbed a bowl of cereal and sat down with her, and they talked as they watched the news together. They said nothing as a segment about Tony's rescue was shown. He told her he was going down into the shop, and she nodded. Before leaving, he turned to her one last time.

"Thanks," he said, knowing she would understand. She just smiled.

"Don't mention it," she said sweetly.

And they didn't.

* * *

**A/N:** Second IM fic, weehoo! This is gonna be a series of one-shots, all having something to do with home (whether it's Tony's physical or metaphorical one). This one came to me after I was completely freaked out and paranoid this morning after I had a dream about zombies. Weird, I know. Hope you like it, leave a review and tell me how I did!


	2. Dreams

"_And I'm surrounded by a million people, I still feel alone."_  
-**Home **by **Michael Buble**

**

* * *

**

Tony Stark grinned to himself as he heard the familiar click-clack of heels on pavement as Pepper Potts approached the vehicle he was currently underneath. As the footsteps came to a stop, he rolled out from under the car to look at his assistant.

"What's up?" he asked, ignoring her grimace as he wiped the grease off of his hands and onto his jeans. She looks away from his dirty clothing and onto the screen of her Blackberry.

"You have a benefit for the Los Angeles Children's Hospital tonight," she told him, and cut him off as he began to protest. "You promised me you would go to this one, because you skipped out on the last two benefits you were supposed to go to for working on the suit."

Tony sighed, standing up to face Pepper.

"Fine. But I expect compensation," he told her as he walked towards the door of the shop. He could almost feel her rolling her eyes at him. He turned around abruptly, knowing she was following closely, and she nearly bumped flat into his chest.

"One dance."

He watched as her facial expression changed from confusion to comprehension, and then finally to something else he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"No."

"Why not?" he whined, continuing to block the entrance so she couldn't walk away.

"I don't even know if I'm going, Tony. I have a lot of work to do. We still have some kinks to work out regarding safety regulations to build a new arc reactor, especially after…" she trailed off, not meeting his eyes. The memory was painful for both of them. He sighed, nodding.

"And if you do show up? Do I get the one dance?" She smiled slightly, walking past him through a small opening that his body was unable to cover.

"I'll think about it."

Tony grinned.

* * *

The ballroom was packed; different celebrities and other public figures were in attendance, all drinking and dancing if they weren't chatting with someone they knew. Tony Stark sat at the bar, looking into his still full glass of scotch. His body ached slightly from the mission he had gone on the day before; he had taken quite a beating from some nasty (and sadly, his own) RPGs. He knew more than enough people attending the benefit and had talked to more than he had wanted to; as he stared into the amber liquid, he felt a sense of longing for someone who he could actually connect with.

_Pepper._

The name crossed his mind before he could stop it. Before he knew it, he was being plagued by images of her when he had seen her this morning, or her pale skin in that magnificent backless gown of hers. The sudden onslaught of thoughts could only be blamed by a dream he had while he was taking a nap just before he arrived; it was one of the usual nightmares, involving flashes of memories during his captivity. This one, however, had changed towards the end; Pepper had been captured as well, and killed when he had refused to build the suit for their captors.

He shuddered, attempting to push the memory into the back of his brain. The scotch he ordered didn't seem to hold half the appeal that it did when he had first asked the bartender to whip it up for him, and he pushed it about an inch away from himself.

Pepper, dead? He couldn't even bear to think about it; his life would descend into chaos without her constant prodding and loyalty, such as staying at the mansion until he got back from a mission so she could patch him up. Tony could feel the hysteria rising up in him as his mind continued to race. Where was she now? What if she had gotten into an accident?

"Tony?"

His head snapped up as he heard her voice, and when he spotted her red hair he slipped on a mask of nonchalance despite the feeling of relief that washed over him.

"Pep, you made it," he said, gesturing for her to take a seat on the stool next to his own. As she walked over to the seat, he took in her attire; she looked stunning in her black dress, as it sat just above the knee and hugged every curve. His eyes moved upward and took inventory of the one completely bare shoulder that was exposed, as the dress only had one strap. At last, he reached her face, which was obviously blushing under his gaze. He smiled at her, then ordered her a drink (vodka martini, dry, extra olives).

"You look great," he told her, and watched as a blush rose in her cheeks a second time.

"You clean up pretty well," she said, smiling.

"Only because you pick out my clothes for me."

She laughed openly at that, taking a sip of her martini.

"So?" he said, and a confused look settled onto her face.

"So what?"

"How about that dance? Did you decide, or do you need more time to think? If that's the case, you need to speed up the process, because we don't actually have all night," he said, letting an appropriate amount of sarcasm seep into his words. When she smiled at him, he couldn't help but smile back.

"I think I could sacrifice one dance."

They wordlessly moved onto the dance floor just as a melodic, slow song picked up. They were so close that Tony could feel Pepper's body heat, and he basked in it. She smelled vaguely like vanilla.

"I feel like we've been here before," he joked, hoping it wasn't still a sore subject. She smiled, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Hopefully it ends a little differently this time," she said lightly.

"Just keep me away from pesky reporters that look like they may spring me with surprise information about weaponry in the Middle East," he instructed her, and she laughed; his ears seemed to tingle with the sound. Their eyes met again, and the gaze held for several seconds before Tony spoke again.

"I'm glad you showed up. As much as I love these people, you make for much better company."

"I aim to please," she said, and he raised an eyebrow at her. Her eyes rolled. "Not like that…"

"Whatever you say, Pepper." She blushed lightly, and he continued. "But really, I'm glad you came. I mean…" he trailed off, searching for words. "You're always here. I can always count on you, and…" he met her blue eyes, and they searched his as he paused. "I guess what I'm trying to say is… thanks. Yep, I'd definitely go with thanks."

"Just doing my job," she said with a smile, and his own faded a little.

"Is that all?" he knew she understood his meaning as she conveyed a look that seemed suspiciously like a 'no' to him. It was at that moment Tony noticed that the song had ended, and most people had cleared off of the dance floor. People were beginning to send looks at them as they held their embrace in the middle of the room. Pepper seemed to notice at the same time, and they both let go of each other quickly. Tony sighed as he knew the question would be left unanswered. _For now._

"Did you drive here, or…?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No, Happy drove me, he left though—"

"I'll take you home."

The drive to Pepper's apartment was silent, although it wasn't awkward; however, there was an unspoken tension hanging in the air that nearly drove Tony crazy by the time they had arrived. As she stepped out of the car, she turned back to him and looked him dead in the eye.

"No, that isn't all," she said simply, and then proceeded to close the car door gently. He watched her until she closed the door of the building behind her. As he drove home, his mind was still reeling. He could only think one thing out of the chaos that was his mind.

_Nope, definitely couldn't live without her._

* * *

**A/N: **This one just didn't seem to want to get written, but I was determined to get up today. I bring bad news, however; you won't see an update for at least three weeks, as I am departing for England around 9 AM today. Sorry about that! The name of this chapter was inspired by one of the best movies I have EVER seen. If you haven't already seen it, go see _Inception _very soon. You're all probably sick of hearing about it by now, but I am telling you, it is worth EVERY penny you pay to see it. I've always admired Christopher Nolan, and this by far his best movie. It surpasses _The Dark Knight _(and I'll have you know, I am very biased on that one as a Batman fan) and _Memento_. It'll have your mind completely exhausted when it's over, but it is one of the best, if not THE best movie I have ever seen. But enough fangirling about that. Hope you liked this chapter, and I'll see you all again in three weeks!


	3. Truth

**A/N: **Post IM2.

"_Who can you trust when you can't trust yourself?"  
_**-Home **by **Kelis**

* * *

Tony sat in the same S.H.I.E.L.D. warehouse where he had been a few weeks earlier, discussing the events that had occurred at the Stark Expo. Nick Fury had asked him to meet with him again to discuss the matters of his position with the Avengers and recent findings of other possible recruits for said team.

"Thanks for sending Stern, by the way," Tony said to Director Fury. The man smirked (he rarely ever _smiled_) in return.

"I thought you might like that," he replied. "Now, as to the matter at hand, Natasha will be staying with you for a little longer. Since you're returning to your original position as CEO, she'll assume the position of an assistant PA of sorts—to help Miss Potts during the transition, among other things."

"Assistant personal assistant? Did you just invent that position?" Tony asked, amused. "And I'm not so sure Pepper wants help—she hates it when people mess with her flow. She'll start to rant, and believe me, you don't want—" he was interrupted by Natasha, who was standing in the corner of the room.

"She doesn't mind when she's receiving _good _help," she said, obviously making a point that his version of help was a little different than everyone else's. "Besides, she _will_ be needing help—the media is already all over this, when they find out you're switching positions again, they'll be absolutely _crawling_ for information."

"Natasha's right—plus, Pepper deserves a little break with all that she's been through," Fury said, nodding his head in agreement. Tony chuckled.

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Tony joked, but faltered at the somber look of the two agents.

"I wasn't just talking about you," the Director said, but before Tony had time to ask what he meant, Fury had already continued onto another subject matter entirely. Tony made a mental note to investigate the comment later.

* * *

Tony picked up a piece of the Hot Rod engine that he had dismantled yet again, observing it for any potential flaws. He let his mind wander while his hands did the work they knew so well—what had Fury meant earlier? _'I wasn't just talking about you,'_ he had said. What did that mean? What else was going on with Pepper?

If it had been recent, he would have known—granted, he had been wrapped up in himself for quite a few months, but if anything drastic had happened to Pepper, he would have noticed. He wasn't _that _self-absorbed. That left one option: something had happened to Pepper a while back, maybe even before they had met. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know much about Pepper's past; he had hired her on a whim, and never questioned her loyalty after the first week he had employed her.

"Jarvis, pull up a search on Pepper's history, would you? Family members, health records; whatever you can find, really."

Jarvis didn't need to respond as the search took place in front of Tony's eyes. Tony set his gaze back on the engine while Jarvis completed the search.

"The search is complete. Which would you like to hear about first?" Jarvis' cool voice inquired.

"Surprise me," said Tony.

"Miss Potts is an only child, born to Jack and the late Michelle Potts—"

Tony stopped tinkering with the engine. He had always assumed both of Pepper's parents were dead; she never spoke of any family members, and she never went on vacation to see them.

"What happened to her? And where's her dad?" Tony asked his AI.

"Jack Potts is currently being held in California State Prison in Lancaster—"

"What?" Tony asked flatly. Had he just heard correctly? "On what charges?"

"If you'd let me finish, sir, you might find out," the AI said, sounding as sarcastic as it could. "Jack Potts is currently serving a life sentence for second-degree murder at California State Prison in Lancaster. He was convicted in 1993 for the murder of Michelle Potts while intoxicated."

Tony's heart went cold, and he sat down slowly in the chair that sat behind all the glass tablets where the information Jarvis had just rattled at him was displayed. He thought _he _had it bad—Pepper's own dad killed her mom; he killed his own _wife. _And he had always wondered why Pepper rarely ever drank in excess—he always figured her aversion to him doing so was simply because she had to clean up the messes he made; he never would have thought it was because of something like this.

"Holy shit," Tony whispered.

"Michelle Potts was pronounced dead on arrival at Anaheim Memorial Medical Center—cause of death is listed as severe blood loss and a collapsed lung caused by a gunshot wound to the chest."

"How old was Pepper when this happened?" It was the only thing Tony could think to say; he had been floored by this new discovery. Why had Pepper never told him anything?

"Miss Potts was born in 1977, so we can assume that she was about sixteen at the time of her mother's death," Jarvis said; if the AI could sound sympathetic, it would have. Tony put his head in his hands—he had been sixteen when his parents died, too, but his situation was _nothing _compared to hers.

"What did Pepper do after her dad got sent to jail?"

"She was emancipated and lived on her own for the rest of her high school career. She obtained a degree in accounting, but worked as a model for several years until she began her job at Stark Industries, was fired, and then re-hired by you."

"Jesus, Pep," he said to himself. "Jarvis, locate Pepper."

"Miss Potts is currently in the kitchen, sir. Would you like to see the video feed?" Jarvis asked faithfully.

"Not this time, Jarvis," Tony said. With that, he ascended the stairs. By the time he had gotten up the stairs, Pepper was no longer in the kitchen; she was sitting on the couch, going through what Tony was sure was his inbox. He walked up to the spot where she sat.

"Pepper."

"Hmm?" she said noncommittally, obviously still focused on his e-mails.

"Pepper," he said again, hoping to gain her full attention.

"Yes, Tony?" she still sounded distracted, but the use of his name meant that she was halfway listening to him. He waited a few minutes before trying again.

"Pepper, look at me," he pleaded, and her head turned to him. She looked frustrated to be disturbed while she was in the middle of something.

"What is it, Tony?" she asked again.

"Pepper," he said softly, "why didn't you tell me?"

Tony watched as her blue eyes searched his, looking confused.

"Tell you what?" she asked, the confusion in her eyes seeping fully into her voice; he certainly had her full attention now. He sat down next to her on the sofa, and her eyes followed his figure.

"About…" he trailed off. What was he supposed to say? _Why didn't you tell me that your adolescence was ruined because your dad tore your family apart by killing your mother and leaving you alone?_ He swallowed, mentally preparing himself for whatever reaction he might receive for asking. "About your parents, Pepper. Why didn't you tell me?"

Pepper's eyes widened in surprise, and the laptop nearly slid off of her lap and onto the floor before Tony caught it. Placing it on the coffee table, he looked back at Pepper. Her blue eyes were still wide and looking at him in a way that broke his heart. After a few more stunned seconds, she looked away from him, obviously trying to steel over her emotions.

"You never asked, Tony. So you'll excuse me if I never thought to bring it up as a cheerful conversation piece over dinner." Her voice was cold and hollow.

"Pepper, I didn't mean it like that," he said softly. "It's just that, I've always wondered why you hated it when I got drunk—if you had just said something—"

"Said what, Tony?" Pepper asked viciously. "What could I have possibly said? 'If you keep doing this, you'll end up killing someone like my bastard father did?' Honestly, what would you have said to that, Tony?"

He looked at her, at a loss for words.

"Exactly," she said. "It would have been completely awkward, you would look at me like—like you're looking at me right now, that sympathetic look that I got from _everyone _I knew for _years _after it happened—for a few weeks, and then everything would go back to normal. A pointless waste of time, Tony."

"It wouldn't have been a waste of time, Pepper," Tony said quietly. "It _isn't _a waste of time, this is huge—all this time, and you've never said a thing. You can talk to me, Pepper. You know that, right?"

"There's nothing to talk about."

Tony stared at her; her eyes were getting red, a tell-tale sign that she was holding back tears. He scooted in closer to her, placing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her thin frame against his own.

"There's everything to talk about," he whispered into her hair. That was all it took for her to break down completely; he could swear he heard his own heart breaking in two when a sob wracked her frame. It was absolutely heart-wrenching; he listened to her cry and felt her tears through his shirt as he rubbed soothing circles into her back through her black dress. It was the same dress, he noticed, that she had worn the day she placed the new arc reactor in his chest. It was ironic; that day, she had dug into his heart. Today, he had dug into hers.

After a few minutes, her tears had stopped flowing. She wiped her eyes, and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry," she said, not looking directly into his eyes.

"For what?" he asked. "Don't answer that. You don't have to be sorry for anything, Pepper. This just proves that—look at me, Pep." He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. "This just proves that you are the strongest person I know. Stuff like that can ruin a person, but you pulled through it. You finished school, you became a model, you became CEO of a company, but most surprising of all—you've managed to put up with me for nearly ten years. That's a feat within itself, Pepper."

She smiled and giggled weakly, snuggling closer into his arms. He pulled her into his lap, letting her rest her head in the nook between his neck and shoulder. After a few minutes of silence, Pepper spoke.

"Thanks, Tony."

"For what?" he asked her, rubbing circles into her hips.

"For giving me a home when I thought I wouldn't find one again," she said simply. He smiled brilliantly, then kissed her full on the lips.

"My home is your home, Pep. Always."

* * *

**A/N:** Hiya, kiddos! Had a great time in England, but glad to be back at home-this idea struck me while I was over there one night, while I was in bed. Needless to say, I did a victorious fist-punch in the air. Some fun facts: 1) yes, I am used to writing depressing and abusive chapters. I'm a Joker/Harley shipper, ok? It's in the description. There couldn't be just fluff in this story, ya know. 2) I have no idea how old Tony was when his parents died. I just threw sixteen out there. 3) I did a lot of research for this chapter, some of it completely pointless. Jails in CA, public high schools in CA, the difference between manslaughter and murder. I'm obviously not cut out to be a lawyer. 4) There might be a part 2 to this chapter. Review if you want me to post it. Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter, I'm sorry I couldn't reply to them all! Hope this one doesn't disappoint you!

ONE MORE THING BEFORE I GO- For any of you that are interested, I have a writing challenge for all of you. Pepperony of course. A one-shot, more directed at the T-M rated writers. The prompt is a painting called "Game On" by Jack Vettriano. The link to said photo is on my profile, just go ahead and click it up. I saw it in England and absolutely fell in love with it. Now, off to it!


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